Easy Peasy Homemade All Purpose Cleaner

I used to use 409. And then, when I got a dog who licked EVERYTHING, I switched to the "green" cleaners, but they really pinched my pocketbook. Then, Dr. Oz mentioned something on his show that my SIL shared with me.

A miracle?

Nope.

Vinegar.

Yep, that's right -- just plain old white vinegar.

Mix equal parts vinegar with water in a spray bottle and use it everywhere. It even cuts through grease (I used it on my stove last night). It does make the house smell a bit like a salad for a little bit, but I like the scent! LOL...

Some facts about why vinegar makes a great cleaner (it's even quite anti-bacterial!):

The acetic acid in vinegar kills viruses, germs, bacteria and mold. It also dissolves tough mineral deposits and stains like those found in sinks, toilets and tubs.

How cool is THAT? You can even clean up after raw meats or scrub your sink and potty.

And one HUGE bottle of vinegar? Costs practically nothing.

Frugal. Non-toxic. Easy.

What more could you ask for?

Go on... fix yourself up a bottle today.

Here's a site about 1001 Ways to Use Vinegar. Check it out.

More on BPAs

Wanted to see what else I could find.

I discovered this:

Minutes from the backroom BPA meeting between Coca-Cola, Alcoa, NAMPA, GMA, ACC, and Del Monte

Which includes lots of info on how these companies are trying to sell the idea that BPAs aren't harmful, including "scare" tactics and targeting minorities and the poor.

I found this:

Chemical Manufacturers & Food Industry Defend Use of BPA

Which has much information, but this quote was especially interesting:

But the recent industry memo outlining the strategy discussion on how to address the public concern about the potential safety issues raised by BPA, and the public desire to switch to use of safe (or at least safer) chemicals from less safe ones, demonstrates that behind closed doors key industry trade associations - including the ACC, the Grocery Manufacturers of America, and the North American Metal Packaging Alliance and even individual companies like Coca-Cola, Del Monte, and ALCOA, are gearing up for a costly (perhaps in ways they didn't anticipate) media campaign to thwart chemical policy reform, and convince the public that it has to choose between exposure to (and consumption of) unsafe chemicals or loss of access to affordable necessities like infant formula and baby food.

Still researching as I can...

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BPAs

Do you ever wish you didn't know something -- because ignorance is bliss? That happened to me the other day.

I imagine most of you have heard of Bisphenol A or BPA. It's been in the news quite a bit because they've discovered that the plastics it's used in leaches bad chemicals into whatever the container holds that can cause cancer. I know I shouldn't microwave in plastic and that #7 plastics shouldn't be used over (like as a water bottle).

I've taken steps to make sure I follow these rules to keep my family as safe as possible.

Then, yesterday, I found out this: Epoxy resins containing bisphenol A are used as coatings on the inside of almost all food and beverage cans.

WHAT? Really?

So, I started researching. I hit Wikipedia first. And found tidbits like this:

...the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) later agreed with the panel, expressing "some concern for effects on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures to bisphenol A," and "minimal concern for effects on the mammary gland and an earlier age for puberty for females in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures to bisphenol A."

And this:

A panel convened by the U.S. National Institutes of Health determined that there was "some concern" about BPA's effects on fetal and infant brain development and behavior. A 2008 report by the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) later agreed with the panel, expressing "some concern for effects on the brain". In January 2010 the FDA expressed the same level of concern.

A 2007 review has concluded that BPA, like other xenoestrogens, should be considered as a player within the nervous system that can regulate or alter its functions through multiple pathways. ... A 2008 review has concluded that BPA altered long-term potentiation in the hippocampus and even nanomolar dosage could induce significant effects on memory processes.

And it also indicated that exposure to BPAs can cause these types of cancer: Breast cancer, Neuroblastoma, prostate cancer.

You'd need to read the entire article to get the full impact, but it's a little scary (Okay ... a LOT scary).

I use canned goods in my food storage area. They're convenient and they store for a REALLY long time. But what good is having it if it causes cancer, if it affects the memory processes of the brain, etc.?

BPA's are in canned veggies, canned fruit, canned meals like soups and even soda.

I found a short article about how to avoid BPAs here. It said:

Beverages appear to contain less BPA residues, while canned pasta and soups contain the highest levels.

But it really didn't give me what I wanted. Then I found this article about who does and doesn't use BPAs in their packaging. Now we're talking! I highly recommend taking a look if you're concerned.

One note that bothered me most there was this:

COCA COLA is not only defending BPA as safe but is spending millions of dollars lobbying and publicizing it's safety to prevent regulations restricting it's use.

Hmmm....

I'll be doing more research, but this really hammered home the need to buy or grow fresh fruits and veggies and can or freeze them myself.

What do you think about all this?